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The Delhi government on Friday said criminal proceedings was likely to be initiated against 567 foreign members of Tablighi Jamaat who were staying at various quarantine centers across the city, while it also started the process of releasing Indian members of the Jamaat.
More than 3,000 Tablighi Jamaat members, who were evacuated from the Nizamuddin Markaz in mid-March, have been under institutional quarantine, after finishing their mandatory 28-day quarantine.
On Friday, while 2,446 Indian Tablighi Jamaat members were allowed to start preparing to leave for their homes, trouble started brewing for their foreign counterparts, who too have been in the city’s quarantine centers.
“Foreign members of the religious outfit will be handed over to the police for criminal proceedings as per law. There are 567 of them and all of them will face criminal charges since there were passport as well as visa violations. So, we are not going to release them yet, ”said a senior Delhi government official.
A second official in the Delhi government said that out of over 2,400 Tablighi Jamaat members who will be released, 191 are from Delhi.
“The chief secretary today (on Friday) issued directions to the additional chief secretary (home) to ensure that the Tablighis of Delhi are released forthwith. Those from other states are being allowed to return via privately arranged transport as per standard operating procedure laid down by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA), ”the official said.
For those who are unable to arrange transport on their own, the Delhi government will provide them with DTC buses, with all necessary precautions, for their inter-state movement.
“Today, there was no movement with regard to their release from the quarantine centers. The Indian Tablighis were apprised that they can leave once they have arranged for their own transport. They will have to give the vehicle number and the route to the district administration, who will issue travel passes after scrutiny, ”the official said.
“Indians from the Tablighi Jamaat are being released on orders. But foreigners related to Jamaat will be handled by the Union ministry of external affairs. This is because their visas have also expired and the matters is beyond the jurisdiction of the Delhi government, ”Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain said.
Jain added that necessary orders have been issued for the release of Indian Jamaatis.
A March gathering of Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin in Delhi has been blamed by health authorities for the spread of Covid cases across the country.As of Friday, Delhi had witnessed 6,318 cases of Covid-19. Of these, at least 1,080 are linked to the markaz.
On May 3, Delhi’s health department had written to the MHA seeking directions for the release of the Tablighi Jamaat members citing “mounting pressures”.
“Since a month has already passed after the completion of Markaz evacuation, the persons shifted from these masjids to various hospitals and quarantine facilities are restless to go back to their respective states / countries. As on today, all the 3,013 persons have not only tested negative but also completed more than 28 days of stay in hospitals / quarantine facilities. Administration is having a tough time convincing these persons for their extended stay, more so during the holy month of Ramzan, ”Delhi secretary (health and family welfare) Padmini Singla had written to the additional secretary (UT), MHA.
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